Looking for a way to save water and money? Try a rain barrel

Friday

Mar 27, 2009 at 12:01 AMMar 27, 2009 at 4:51 PM

As precious a resource as water is, it makes sense to get the most out of every drop. And when hundreds of gallons of rain fall on the roof during just a one-inch rain, it becomes clear rainwater is a significant resource that homeowners rarely tap.

Chris Young

As precious a resource as water is, it makes sense to get the most out of every drop.

And when hundreds of gallons of rain fall on the roof during just a one-inch rain, it becomes clear rainwater is a significant resource that homeowners rarely tap.

“A rain barrel is like putting a measuring cup under their downspout,” says Austin Grammer, who sells rain barrels wholesale from his business, Prairie Rain Harvester Inc. in Farmer City (about halfway between Bloomington-Normal and Champaign). “It helps people put a quantity to the amount of rain that is falling on their roofs.

“For example, just one inch of rain on a 1,000 square foot of roof is equal to 625 gallons of rainwater.”

Each barrel holds 55 gallons.

“You’ve already got the catchment area — your roof — and you’ve already got the plumbing — your gutters and downspouts. So it is really simple to add a container to store the rain water,” he says. “And that’s what a rain barrel is.”

Rain barrels are touted as a way to store rainwater to use on the lawn or in the garden, and to cut down on overall water use.

Modern rain barrels are sealed so mosquitoes can’t breed in them. They also have overflow mechanisms in case they fill up during a downpour.

“Without a rain barrel, that rain water is going out into your yard or going into the storm sewers,” Grammer says. “They open people’s eyes to how much storm water there is during a big rain event and what an issue it is to manage that water.

“And where does that storm water go?” he says.

In highly developed areas, water runs off parking lots, streets, sidewalks and rooftops and doesn’t have as many opportunities to soak into the ground. Storm drains carry water swiftly away, where it can eventually raise the level of rivers and streams.

Rainwater also washes debris and pollutants such as oil and anti-freeze into waterways.

Rain barrels can help catch some of that water if they are left empty. If they fill up, the flow can be directed to where the water can do the most good.

“It’s important to have an overflow mechanism,” Grammer says. “The barrel will fill and the additional rain will go out the overflow hose on the side.”

Gov. Pat Quinn has introduced a new program to promote the use of rain barrels. As lieutenant governor, Quinn promoted the development of rain gardens — groupings of native plants adapted to wet environments that are planted in the vicinity of downspouts. Rain barrels and rain gardens can be used in concert to help store and absorb water and keep it from running off.

Quinn’s project encourages cities that participate in Illinois’ Main Street Program to purchase rain barrels to resell as a fundraiser. Communities also will be encouraged to develop innovative ways to promote rain barrels, such as contests to decorate them.

Grammer says kids love to paint rain barrels. Those wanting a paint job that will last should use Krylon Fusion for Plastic.

Rain barrels recycle more than rainwater.

“We are using the barrels that are already here instead of making rain barrels out of new plastic,” Grammer says. “They are used to bring food ingredients to manufacturers in central Illinois, and I partner with them to recycle the barrels so people here can harvest rainwater.

“They are trash to (the manufacturers),” he says.

The 55-gallon barrels are made of HDPE, or No. 2, recyclable plastic.

“If they weren’t made into rain barrels, they could potentially be ground up and turned into other plastic,” he says. “Typically, that takes more energy than to use them in the form they already are.”

Grammer says the water can be used for gardens and houseplants. Recycled rainwater also can be used to wash the car and even the dog.

Just don’t drink it — and don’t let your pets drink it. Asphalt roofs release pollutants, Grammer says, that make the water unfit to consume.

Prairie Rain Harvesters is expanding beyond the farmers markets, where Grammer got his start selling rain barrels that typically retail for about $85.

“I don’t have a retailer in the Springfield area yet, but I am looking to expand,” he says. “Hopefully I’ll be branching into Sangamon County this summer.”

Chris Young can be reached at (217) 788-1528 or chris.young@sj-r.com.

On the Web
* www.prairierainharvester.com
* Make your own rain barrel: www.naturalrainwater.com/make_rainbarrel.htm

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